When Canadian gas prices hit $1 per liter in the early 2000s, it was common for industry experts, politicians, and media commentators to explain that gas prices at the pump were closely tied to the price of crude oil per barrel. A notable figure who frequently made this point was Gaétan Caron, who served as the chairman of the National Energy Board (NEB) of Canada at the time. Caron and other officials often emphasized the direct relationship between the global price of oil and local gasoline prices. Additionally, economists and analysts from organizations such as the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) and various energy consultancy firms reiterated this linkage in their public statements and reports. At that time the price per barrel had reached $100 implying pump prices would go down correspondingly when the barrel price did.
Since then the price has dropped as low as 30 and is 78 today yet gas prices continue to jump in 10 to 15 cent per litre increments. Sitting at a whopping 1.70 in a country as vast Canada means a huge impact on consumers. With no explanations and almost all stations increasing pricing at the same time, it can only be attributed to price fixing, taxes, and greed.
But the government has a solution. Buy more expensive EVs and go shorter distances at a higher environmental impact. No hypocrisy there. While you do, they will continue to arrive in posh limos having picked them up from their recently landed private jets filled with 200,000 worth of high class Hors d’Oeuvres.
In the mean time, all consumer products suffer increases and the cost of travel skyrockets without affecting the politicians who substantially increased their own salaries. Nothing skewed here.